Rice, Rice, & More Rice

Ingredients

• 3 T peanut or canola oil, divided
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten with a little pinch of salt
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• about 8 shiitake mushrooms (either packaged dried ones or fresh ones), sliced (if dried, rehydrate in very hot water for 15-20 min and then squish them until dry between paper towels) – the shiitakes are optional, but we like them in it!
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1/2 minced Fresno chile or about a 1/4 of a minced jalapeno or a pinch of red chile flakes (use your judgement as to your heat tolerance here)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated (optional but delicious)
• 1-2 T soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 3 c cooked and chilled long grain rice
• about 1 c of leftover meat cut into 1/2″ cubes, if you wish; or dice 4 slices of bacon and fry ahead of time to add, if you don’t have leftovers.  Or omit totally.
• 1/2 c frozen peas, defrosted (you can just run hot water over them)

Heat a wok or a large skillet to medium high heat.  Add 1 T of the oil.  When the oil is hot pour in the eggs and swirl the pan so that the egg forms a large thin pancake-y-like thing.  Gently lift the edge of the eggs so that any uncooked egg runs to the center.  When the egg mixture is set, turn it out of the pan and onto a cutting board.  Cool; and then cut into 1″ pieces.

Add the remaining oil to the pan and bring it back to medium high heat.  Then add the green onions and mushrooms and stir fry for about a minute.  Add the garlic, chile, ginger and stir fry another 30 seconds or so.  Then – being sure that your pan is still at medium high heat, cause you want the rice to sizzle – add the soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then add the meat and stir fry for another minute or two.  Add the peas and egg and gently incorporate them into the rice mixture until they are heated.  Serve.  Leftovers will be wonderful warmed up in the microwave (a damp paper towel on top works well) – maybe for lunch?  maybe for dinner!

Ingredients

• 1/2 medium head of cauliflower, broken into florets
• 2 c of cooked, cooled (or leftover) white or brown rice
• 1 c red cabbage, chopped (optional) (I don’t recommend lettuce, cause it won’t be good in leftover salad)
• 1 15-oz can beans (black, pinto, cannellini – your choice)
• 1/4 c red onion
• 1/2 c cilantro
• 1 tsp minced jalapeno (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 c cheddar cheese, cut into tiny cubes
• avocado (optional)

Dressing

• 1/4 c lime juice
• 1/4 c orange juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp sugar (or agave or maple syrup or honey)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 T olive oil

Put the cauliflower into a food processor and process until it resembles rice.  (This is actually really fun and different, but it’s a step you can easily omit – and instead just chop up the cauliflower into small pieces).

Put the cooked rice in a large bowl and add the cauliflower and cabbage.  On a cutting board, mince the onion and chop the cilantro finely.   Then mix the onion, cilantro and jalapeno into the cauliflower and bean mixture.  Salt and pepper the mixture to taste.  Carefully mix in the cheddar cheese and avocado.

In a separate bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.

Pour about 1/2 of the dressing over the rice mixture.  Taste and then add more dressing, as desired (the rest will keep well).

The salad is great right after you make it and will keep well in the frig for several days (but don’t put the avocado in if you don’t intend to use the salad immediately).  Adding a little more salad dressing when you use the leftovers will perk everything up.

Ingredients

• 2 c cooked brown or white rice
• 1 1/2 c milk
• 2 generous tablespoons of brown sugar (or honey, agave, or maple syrup)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 c almonds

Put the rice and milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down to a simmer (barely simmering); add the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and 1/2 the almonds.  Simmer uncovered until almost all of the liquid has been absorbed.  Top with the rest of the almonds – and enjoy.

Ingredients

• 4 T peanut or canola oil (divided)
• 3/4 lb andouille sausage, sliced into about 1/2″ slices (kielbasa or Spanish chorizo may be substituted)
• 1 T butter
• 1 lb pork, cut into about 1″ pieces (I like to use pork shoulder, but any pork will do)
• 3/4 tsp salt (if you’re using ham, go light on the salt)
• 1 c green and/or red bell pepper, diced (about 1 large one)
• 1 c onion, diced (1 small onion)
• 1 c celery, diced (about 4 stalks)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning – or another Creole/Cajun seasoning, if you have one.  You might substitute some chili powder, if you can’t get Cajun seasoning.  We often use Gebhardt’s when we’re needing chili (not chile) powder.
• Tabasco sauce (a few dashes of it)
• 2 c of long grain white rice (we chose not to rinse it first….hard to know)
• 4 c chicken broth, homemade, if you’ve got it

Heat 2 T of the oil in an oven-worthy deep pan (cast iron is great; Staub or Le Creuset work well too) to medium to medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and saute until it’s lightly browned and the fat has been rendered.  Drain off the accumulated fat; remove the andouille from the pan.  Add the remaining oil and the 1 T butter and bring the pan back up to medium high heat.  Add the pork, sprinkle with salt, and fry, stirring occasionally, until it’s beginning to brown.  Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, garlic and all of the seasonings and continue cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are soft.

Add the sausage, rice and chicken broth to the mixture and bring it all to a boil.  Put the lid on the pan and place the pan in the pre-heated oven.  Bake – without taking off the lid – for 30 minutes, then check.  If the rice has not yet absorbed all the liquid, put it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.  Then remove the pan from the oven and very, very gently lift and mix the jambalaya, just to fluff.  Replace the lid and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.